


draw me a map and we'll go far

by mayachain



Series: birthday!verse [26]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Backstory, Birthday, Dating, Double Life, Established Relationship, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Hogwarts Third Year, M/M, MWPP Era, Post - Deathly Hallows, Recovery, Travel, low-key relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-11
Updated: 2014-03-11
Packaged: 2018-01-15 08:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1297471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayachain/pseuds/mayachain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six times Remus had a date on his birthday. Or: 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, 2014.</p>
            </blockquote>





	draw me a map and we'll go far

**March 10th, 1964**

“And then you have to close your eyes and turn, like _this,_ three times, and when you look, you’re in Avalon!”

Remus stumbled a bit when Joanne let go of him, but he soon found his footing and giggled. With the slight dizziness making the landscape all wobbly, the small forest behind the village looked _different_. A mystical land.

‘Floo’s easier,’ he almost blurted out, but he was four years old today and he could remember not to mention real magic in front of a Muggle like a big boy. Mum wouldn’t need to shake her head with only half a smile and sigh, ‘The neighbours ‘ve been talking about your active imagination.’ Not again.

It was a good thing Joanne from across the street was two years older than he was, even if it meant she would soon leave Remus behind for most of the day for school. It was _she_ who invented most of their adventures. All Remus had to do was remember the differences to what he knew was real and try not to get worked up enough for a burst of accidental magic. Easy enough.

Waiting for her next prompt didn’t stop him from shouting “Avalon ‘fested by ogres!” upon spotting Joanne’s brothers and getting a head-start on the charge.

 

**March 10th, 1974**

Despite bracing himself for it, Remus wasn’t entirely prepared for the full onslaught of Sirius’ smirk. “Birthday boy!” The call was loud enough to make everyone who was still in the Gryffindor Common Room look up. Sirius dodged Peter’s elbow and protested “Don’t front, you’re every bit as curious as Jamie and I.” Peter looked at Remus and shrugged. 

“Aaand?” asked James. “How was it?”

Remus knew he was red in the face, and by the hollering of the group of fourth-years he had to go past he gathered everyone had to have some idea where he’d been. “It was nice,” he managed after he’d made it close enough to the Marauders that he could pretend the conversation was private. 

“Nice?” James repeated with a grin. “Niiiiice,” Sirius echoed. James’ wink, Remus thought uncharitably, looked as if he’d gotten a fly in.

“I knew you’d like her,” Peter said, looking proud, and Remus had to admit – “Yeah,” which prompted Sirius and James to thump first Remus and then Peter on their backs.

“Happy birthday to me,” he said, knowing it would make them laugh, but refused to give in to Sirius’ demand for “Details! Deeeeetaaaaaaails.” Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Lily Evans’ silent judgemental look change to one of grudging approval.

The date _had_ been nice. He and Annica had spent two hours in an out-of-the-way nook in Ravenclaw Tower first bemoaning the dearth of literature on Boggarts and then discussing all kinds of differences between their favourite Muggle and Wizarding books. When he’d left to make curfew she had kissed him on the cheek and looked away from his mouth with a slight blush, as if she was thinking about it but didn’t quite dare yet.

It had been one of the nicest evenings he’d spent without spending it with his friends. And yet, even as he listened to Sirius and Peter speculating what he and Annica might have gotten up to, he knew he would have to say ‘I don’t think we’ll see each other again, though,’ knew he would have to find a way to make them understand that at nice as it had been, he wasn’t and likely never would be in a position to start a relationship with anyone.

 

**March 10th, 1984**

“Come out with me tonight,” Nahuel said when he leaned back. Remus was still blinking, processing that the Curse Breaker apprentice he’d met only yesterday in an obscure library in Mariánske... had kissed him.

Nahuel was travelling the world much like Remus was, and his stories from South America and Asia almost made Remus wish he could let go of the phantom of a four-year-old boy and plan a trip overseas, southwards to Africa or past the Ural.

“I have to meet the Vits for dinner,” he cautioned. Nahuel waved it away. 

“After, then! There is a club on třída Vitĕzství, my host’s cousin runs it – Remus Lupin! Come with me.”

They had talked a little about war, enough for Remus to know that Nahuel had his reasons not to return to Argentina for a few years. Only a little, though, because Nahuel refused to talk about loss.

“You’re alive, Remus,” he insisted against Remus’ hesitation, serious although his grin was anything but. There was no way Remus could possibly put into words how long it had been since he’d felt like he was, but...

It _was_ his birthday. He was thoroughly enjoying Nahuel’s company, Nahuel had just _kissed_ him, and in three days Nahuel was leaving for Traunstein while Terezie Vit had gotten Remus a two months’ access to the archives in Ózd. ~~Sirius~~ James and Peter would hex his arse for brooding his life away. 

“Ten o’clock tonight?” he suggested, and... yes, what had just stolen over his face had been a real smile.

 

**March 10th, 1994**

He’d decided to heed Dumbledore’s well-meaning words and headed out to Hogsmeade once his sixth-year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff class had let out. 

It had given him a chance to see for himself exactly how close the Dementors were to the Castle, and even though he’d given them a wide berth it now served as a good excuse to treat himself to chocolate cake.

Remus wasn’t expecting the young woman that plopped down next to him with a “You’re this year’s DADA teacher, right?” 

“I am,” he said, taking in her Auror’s badge and refusing to flinch. “Remus Lupin.” Perhaps he ought to buy her her own slice and a hot chocolate for good measure. He had the money for once, and if she was wearing a badge then she was assigned as the citizens’ contact person in a village infested by Dementors. She was looking far too pale around the nose.

 

**March 10, 2004**

The guests were gone and their six-year-old had been put to bed.

The full moon was two days away. From the glimpse at the sky when he’d seen Neville and Draco out, one almost wouldn’t know the difference. For once, there were no rainclouds.

‘The full moon isn’t actually my Boggart anymore,’ Remus thought. He’d been taking Wolfsbane for nearly eleven years, and the moon up there wasn’t full, not yet.

Also, he was pleasantly tipsy from what little alcohol he’d been allowed. “I want to go stargazing,” he informed a rather startled Severus. 

Severus grumbled something unintelligible about lightweight werewolves but caught the cloak Remus threw in his direction.

The night was relatively warm, for the middle of March, perfectly lovely with enough clothes and a thick blanket on the porch. 

Severus had not come outside when Remus had arranged it to his satisfaction and sat down. An unwelcome feeling of uncertainty was crawling up inside of him, and he fought the urge to call ‘If you need an excuse, you can monitor the effects of the moonlight.’ 

There were sounds of doors and cupboards opening and closing. Just as Remus began feeling entirely too silly to remain sitting, Severus settled down next to him and dropped something onto his knees. “I will not vouch for the quality you derive from this contraption, given where it came from.”

The telescope was tiny up until Remus picked it up and it grew to fit the size if his hand. “Harry gave this to Teddy last Christmas.” 

“As I was saying.”

Remus smiled, contented now that he had the company he’d wished for, leaned into the solid body beside him and looked up at the stars.

 

**March 10th, 2014**

_Dear Teddy,_

_I know you saw your old Dad off only a few hours ago, but who knows how long this postcard will take?_

_I have safely arrived in Necochea. You can tell Victoire she won the bet – it took five port keys to cover the distance, not four. Be sure to take that special you brew before your own trip here after OWLs._

_Anselme arrived only minutes before me and we have both settled into the apartment our mutual friend Prof. Caceres has graciously set aside and stocked for us. He and Nahuel are expecting us tomorrow. You’ll laugh, but in the words of someone I once knew: ‘Those ~~hidden passages~~ vaults [outside the city] are not going to know what hits them!’ _

_Be good for your slew of guardians,_

_Love, Dad_

_PS: Anselme says to try and refrain from dropping too many hints about what this all might mean for Prof. Lupin’s DADA classes next year. I wonder, does he mean me, or you?_

_._


End file.
